Baby Teeth Problems: Why does my dog require a surgical extraction if baby teeth are meant to fall out?
Deciduous (baby) teeth should fall out before the adult teeth that take their place come in. When a deciduous tooth does not fall out in time it is called retained. A retained deciduous tooth that has outstayed its welcome will occupy the space where the adult or permanent tooth is meant to go. This usually forces the adult tooth into an abnormal position leading to a malocclusion or periodontal disease. A malocclusion is an abnormal bite where the top and lower teeth do not fit together properly. Malocclusions can be painful, result in tooth fracture or other oral trauma, and require more advanced and invasive procedures to correct. Extra teeth can also lead to crowding and the accumulation of food, plaque, and tartar, which over time result in periodontal disease and bone loss. The treatment of choice for retained deciduous teeth is surgical extraction.
The yellow arrows show retained deciduous canines with food, plaque, and tartar accumulated between the double canine teeth. The green arrow shows abnormal positioning of the lower canine due to the retained adjacent baby tooth. This can lead to clashing with the upper teeth or a hole in the hard palate. The red arrows show retained deciduous premolars. The blue arrows shows the abnormal positioning of the adult premolar coming in due to the persistent baby premolar. Again there is an abnormal amount of tartar accumulation in these areas.
Fractured (broken) deciduous teeth
Fractured baby teeth are actually not that uncommon. These teeth are fragile because they have thin dentin wall, large pulp chamber, and open root tips. Because puppies are enthusiastic chewers, love to rough house, and are clumsy they are at risk of fracturing their teeth. Broken deciduous teeth act like a straw in the pet’s mouth and allow bacteria from the mouth to travel up into the bone of the jaw causing infections. Although it may be tempting to leave broken deciduous teeth in since they will be falling out soon, it is inappropriate. They are painful and infected. The infections can also cause significant damage to the adult tooth that is developing under the gums. There have even been reports of puppies developing tetanus due to fractured deciduous teeth! The treatment of choice is surgical extraction.
The upper left deciduous canine is broken off at the tip exposing the pulp. The rubber stick in the left image is placed into a draining tract from an abscess formed at the apex of the root identified on the radiograph by the rubber stick in the image on the right.
Written by Dr. Dana Carr